Short version: GIC1 (formerly IG1) is an open-book, scenario-based exam built around command words — instructions that tell you exactly what kind of answer is expected. Understanding them is the difference between a technically correct answer and one that actually scores.
What each command word actually asks for
- Give / State
- Provide a short, factual answer straight from recall — no development needed. Often interchangeable with identify.
- Identify / List
- Name something briefly. One or two words is often enough, as long as it gives a clear, unambiguous reference — e.g. "Identify FOUR hazards associated with excavations" can be answered with short phrases like "collapse of sides" or "falling into the excavation."
- Outline
- Give a brief indication of the key features — more than a bare list, but not a full explanation. Candidates are not expected to develop each point.
- Describe
- Give a detailed account, painting a fuller picture than an outline — enough detail that someone else could visualise what's being described.
- Explain
- Go further and give reasons or mechanisms — the "why" or "how," not just the "what."
- Suggest
- Apply knowledge to a situation where more than one valid answer is possible — propose or recommend a course of action rather than recalling a fixed fact.
- Compare
- Identify similarities and/or differences between two things. Each marking point typically needs to reference both items being compared, not just one.
- Distinguish
- Explain the difference(s) between two or more things — similar to compare, but focused specifically on what sets them apart.
How marks are awarded
NEBOSH uses positive marking: marks are awarded for correct material in your answer rather than deducted for mistakes or omissions. In practice, that means:
- Roughly one mark is available per distinct point, reason, or example. If a question is worth 8 marks, your answer needs at least 8 separate, valid points to hit the ceiling.
- Give fewer points than the marks available and you've automatically lost marks — there's no partial credit for one point covering multiple mark slots.
- There's no penalty for a wrong or irrelevant point beyond the marks it fails to earn, so when you're unsure it's worth writing more than the minimum. Go straight to the point, use short bullet points for clarity, and let the mark allocation guide how much you write.
Why this matters for how you practise
A common way candidates lose marks is misunderstanding command words, writing generic answers, ignoring the scenario, or copying textbook phrasing instead of explaining in their own words. Since GIC1 is scenario-based, your answer also needs to be anchored in the scenario given — a technically correct but generic answer scores lower than one that names the specific hazard or control relevant to that workplace.